Nine's River
by Fanfictionite17
Summary: The Doctor has a rough regeneration into his tenth life (we know him as Nine), and it is up to him and Professor River Song to stop a new creature from rising to power.
1. Regeneration

Never once had the regeneration cycle come as such a relief. The Doctor watched the energy radiate from his body as his life built in war passed into a life of infinite possibility. The Doctor lurched forward onto the console of his TARDIS. He looked around. Everything had a hazy look to it, and the Doctor felt the formation of a headache, a common side of a rough regeneration. Black fluid began to fill his eyesight, and the Doctor collapsed to the ground.


	2. Regenerated, But not Rejuvenated

"Doctor. . . Doctor. . . Doctor!" The Doctor's body jerked and his eyes opened. He gasped, air filling his lungs. "Doctor, we need to move," a voice called. The Doctor looked around, only seeing blurry forms against a poisoned sky.

"Doctor," the voice called again. The Doctor pinpointed the location of the voice. Before him was a woman. She was wearing a white coat with tan pants. Her hair was a large ball of orange mass. "Doctor, get up! Can you walk?" the voice was becoming panicked.

The blurriness began to fade and the Doctor could see the woman more clearly. She had hard face, like she had seen war. She was rather tall, about the same height as himself, the Doctor mused. The Doctor sat up.

"Ah, you're up," the woman said, "we've got to get to the TARDIS." She looked around, as if she was afraid of something. "Come on, up." She helped the Doctor to his feet.

"Who arr. . ." the Doctor's voice trailed off.

"Best to not talk, you took a bad beating," the woman said.

The Doctor limped along with the woman's support towards a building. The Doctor's eyes swept around, taking in the situation he was in. The whole place looked like it had been leveled by a weapon of some sorts. There were small fires here and there, people were lying dead on the ground and, worst of all, the Doctor heard the faint "popping" sound of distant gunfire. 'War,' he thought.

The woman helped him inside the building. They found a corner that was mostly free of debris, and she set him down against the cold stone wall. She crouched in front of him, examining him with her eyes. "Never seen you like this before," she said. "It makes me wonder which regeneration you're on. Can't have been long since, look at your body. You look like you've seen better days, but still, you are always a sight for sore eyes."

The Doctor pondered over what she had just said. 'Could it be she is a future companion of mine, or am I just forgetting something?' The Doctor started to run through all of his female companions. 'She can't be Susan, Susan had darker hair and I don't think she could've grown this tall of you stretched her. She can't be Barbara, same problem; hair color and height. Also, her face had a smaller structure than this woman in front of me.'

The Doctor thought about this, but was interrupted when the woman began to speak again. "You don't remember me do you?" she asked.

He tried to answer, but the words wouldn't form. He shook his head.

"Thought so. Do you know how you got here?" The Doctor shook his head again. "Do you remember anything after your regeneration?" she asked. 'What's with all the questions?' the Doctor thought. He shook his head again.

The woman sighed. "We need to get you to the TARDIS. You look tired, and if you can't remember anything, then you're probably forgetting something."

"Yeah," the Doctor said weakly.

"Oh, so you're talking now, eh? Well, try to conserve your energy, okay?"

"Who?" the Doctor asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm a professor. A doctor, like you."

The Doctor closed his eyes and his mind shot to Ace, his former companion. She came and left during his seventh form. She went to an academy on Gallifrey to study the ways of the Time Lords. She had a rather explosive personality, so to speak. And it annoyed the Doctor that she always called him "The Professor." But, it was rather endearing, too.

When the Doctor reopened his eyes, he realized that she had been talking.

"Are you even listening to me? Doctor! Were in a hurry! Where is the TARDIS?"

"The what?" the Doctor asked.

"The TARDIS! Doctor this is important, we're in the middle of a war without your TARDIS, and you're here taking a nap!"

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said, "but I still have no idea who you are."

"I'll explain later, but first we need to get to the TARDIS. Can you stand?"

"I think so." The Doctor grunted as he stood up. His legs were a bit wobbly, but otherwise he was okay. "I have a lot of questions for you. How do you know me? Who are you? What. . ."

"I understand," she interrupted, "that you have questions, but I think getting out of here is of prime importance. Where is the TARDIS?"

"I don't know," said the Doctor. He leaned against the broken door frame, head probing the outside landscape. It was a disaster. The fires were growing in number and size and the sound of gunfire was drawing nearer. "I really don't know."

"Well, this is a problem," the woman exclaimed.


	3. The TARDIS

There was a loud explosive sound outside the building. The smell of smoke filled the room and dust flew everywhere.

"Wait here," the woman choked, "I'm going to go see what that was."

The Doctor watched as she ran outside, her hair bouncing up and down like a bright orange flame. When she left the room, the Doctor slid down against a wall, shut his eyes, and rested.

He woke with a start to the familiar sound of his TARDIS landing. His eyes shot open and before him stood a dust covered police box. He smiled and stood up. The woman ran into the room, and quickly searched for the cause of the noise. "Is that. . ." she began.

"Yes," the Doctor said joyfully. "It appears my TARDIS has chosen to come back. Now, if I could just find my key. . ." The Doctor began to search his pockets.

"Doctor, this could be a trap. Why would your TARDIS go missing, and show up when we need it?"

"Oh, it most certainly is a trap. But, I'd rather like to find out who is behind it." The Doctor pulled a key out of his pants pocket. "Here we go." He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. "Aren't you coming?" he asked.

The woman walked through the door, past the Doctor. She walked up towards the console while the Doctor shut the doors, and began flipping switches and turning knobs. The familiar dematerialization sound shoots through the air. "You seem familiar with my TARDIS," the Doctor stated. "I've waited long enough, it's time for answers. Who are you, and how do I know you, er, you know me?"

"It's me, Doctor, River. River Song. Don't you remember me?" River asked. She thought for a minute. "What regeneration are you."

"Well," the Doctor started, "first there was me, but then I turned old and regenerated into the one with the string tie. Then I was forced by the Time Lords to regenerate into the karate nut. Then the one with the scarf, and the one with the celery. Then I was a clown, and then I was old again. After that, I lost my memory."

"And how did you get it back?" River interjected.

"It came back over time with the help of some companions. Sadly, they chose not to travel with me."

"So, which regeneration are you?"

"Well, after the long haired one, I took a turn and became. . ." The Doctor paused, he looked saddened, like he was filled with regret.

"You don't have to tell," River said.

"I became what I hated. I killed to stop the inhalation of the universe. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. I'm on ten, three more Doctors to come." The Doctor was growing angry. "But, my last regeneration wasn't me. I did what I did, of that there is no doubt. But do not think for one minute that I did it in the name of the Doctor."

"Doctor, I'm. . ."

The TARDIS shook, violently throwing the Doctor and River to the ground. A moment of utter silence follows, then the TARDIS doors open with a bang, flying off their hinges into the console room. The Doctor and River get up. River pulls out her gun, but the Doctor just smiles, wiping debris from his jacket.

The Doctor turns to River. "It appears we have guests."


End file.
